The short of it: Welcome in spring with a pineapple coconut cider. The essential flavor ingredients: Trader Joe's organic dried pineapple and coconut chips.

For the cider base, I pointed the cart to Trader Joe's refrigerated section and purchased flash-frozen, unfiltered apple juice. Tip: Go for preservative-free apple juice -- no sodium benzoate or potassium sorbate. Your best scenario: orchard-pressed cider, but that's not available right now, and this is my way of getting ready for Spring Break!

I placed one gallon of apple juice in my fermenting bucket (after a thorough cleaning and sanitizing), oxygenated the juice, then pitched WLP028 Edinburgh Ale yeast, along with yeast nutrient.

The person serving me at the homebrew shop five minutes from my house was amused that I was buying the yeast for myself and not a phantom bearded man waiting at home. Next time I will go to my usual place, The Home Wine, Beer and Cheesemaking Shop in Woodland Hills, about 40 minutes from home (during off-traffic hours).

I placed the pineapple and coconut flavor ingredients in a bag and placed the bag into the bucket.

Time to add the lid, complete with thermowell and airlock.

This little baby went into a temp controlled fermentation chamber/AKA refrigerator, discretely located in my Los Angeles apartment closet.

Special thanks to Chris Banker of The Society of Barley Engineers, my homebrew club in Vista, CA, for the yeast suggestion. And I will always be thankful to Thomas Peters at Belching Beaver in Vista for fermentation vessel management tips (computer fan and Eva-Dry). How will the cider turn out? We'll know in about two weeks or so, about one week into spring.

HomeBrewTalk has published "Tasting Beer: A Primer to Share with Your Wine-Loving Friends." The accompanying article provides an inside look at being a member of the vibrant and generous homebrew community. See the story.

Small batch brewing provides the opportunity to use your vial or smack pack of yeast to create more than one beverage -- in this case, an ale and a cider. Why not use the small batch opportunity to go with a theme (or craze, if you're especially ardent): Belgian Tripel or Octoberfest or . . . the possibilities are endless. Below is a glimpse of the Glow-Throated Belgian Tripel ale that I made on day one and the Royal SunAngel "Belgian Tripel" hard cider that I made on day three. The ale and cider share Wyeast Trappist High Gravity 3787 yeast, along with table sugar, on the list of ingredients. For the cider, I used Trader Joe's flash pasteurized, unfiltered apple juice (find it in the refrigerated section). For those who asked about my cider ingredients: I plan to add a tincture of hand-picked pink peppercorns, coriander seeds, and cinnamon in secondary fermentation to evoke the aroma and flavor of a Belgian Tripel. The ale will rely solely on the yeast for its spicy, fruity character. It makes me purr to think about doing a side-by-side tasting once I get these babies bottled.

Big ciders beguile you to slow down and reflect upon what's good in your life. When sipping an apple wine such as this one will be, I think of my mother and how much she enjoys her brandy at the end of a harrowing day in the entrepreneurial life she shares with my dad. When I made a Belgian Tripel ale a few days ago, I thought it would be fun to concoct a hard cider with a similar vibe. Thus, Royal SunAngel "Belgian Tripel" was born. I placed this baby in the fermentation chamber and active fermentation kicked in within an hour. Hang onto your hat, Peter -- this is a live one!

This "Belgian Tripel" cider was inspired by a Belgian Tripel ale I brewed a few days ago. I hope to capture the spirit with similar ingredients and flavor as well as mouthfeel and aroma.

We started our Minnesota craft beer field trip at Red Cow Restaurant & Bar on 50th Street in Minneapolis as we found ourselves parched and in need of a snack after a three-hour flight. Two early winners rose to the top of our tasting: Bauhaus Brew Labs and Fulton. Dinner was at Corner Table, where I kicked back a pint of Bauhaus Hairbanger Belgo-style American pale ale -- the best beer of the day -- check out this video to get a feel for Bauhaus and the Hairbanger. Will we be paying a visit to Bauhaus? Oh hell yes.

Red Cow Restaurant Restaurant & Bar, with two Minneapolis locations and one in St. Paul, is a friendly and accessible location to begin exploring the Minnesota craft beer scene. Eric, the general manager, is quick to share local knowledge and ideas for your beer safari.

Grade B maple syrup (the best kind) is the star of this acer cider, which is now in fermentation. The maple syrup will dry out the cider in a most satisfying way and kick in some smoky notes. I enjoyed some Reverend Nat's Revival Hard Apple Cider while making The Acer. Can't wait to taste the outcome in a few weeks.